Guitar playing device



175067 biO/f we Ljiiazzuao,

July 2, 1935. v. L. MARZULLO GUITAR PLAYING DEVICE Filed July 19, 1934 Patented July 2, 1935 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in guitar playing devices, and more particularly to means for mechanically picking or plucking the strings by an arrangement of keys which are pressed down by the fingers to produce the same effect as would otherwise be produced with the fingers in direct contact with the strings.

The device is capable of being adapted to allv stringed instruments which are played by vi- 9 brating the strings with the fingers or by a pick held in the fingers, as for example the banjo or mandolin, but for the purpose of the present disclosure is especially designed for the guitar and particularly when played after the manner of the Hawaiian or steel guitar, that is, with the instrument held horizontally on the lap of the player and fretted by sliding a steel her along the strings to produce the metallic twang characteristic of Hawaiian music. Otherwise the strings are vibrated by picking or plucking them with the fingers, but usually with the aid of one or more picks which are fitted onto the thumb and one of the fingers of the playing hand, not only to produce more resonant and sustained notes or chords, but also the protect the fingers.

One of theobjects of the inventionistherefore to obviate the necessity of using suchmechanical finger aids as just mentioned, or in the absence thereof, to necessitate the player maintaining a .calloused condition of the fingers in order to withstand the harsh contact with the strings. Moreover, if the player is also accomplished on other instruments as well, a calloused condition of the fingers is frequently detrimental to the playing of other instruments, or if the player is a member of an orchestra and is required to play more than one instrument, it is quite "impossible to change quickly-from the guitar to another instrument or vice versa, because ofv the delay in removing or applying the mechanical finger aids.

A further and obvious .object of the invention is to simplify the playing of stringed instruments by providing mechanical means for vibrating the strings through the medium of keys.

And finally, the object of the invention is to providea self-contained attachment which can be applied to any guitar or like instrumentwithout necessitating any alteration in the instrument or the provision of means to receive it.

A preferred embodiment of the invention isdis- .closed .in-the accompanying drawing, in which Figure '1 is a perspective view of a guitar .eguipped ,with the playing device.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation with two 01' the sections in vertical section as taken on line 2-2 of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2. i H

Figured is a top plan view of the device with portions broken away to show two of the units in cross section as taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the top cover plate showing its sectional construction.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the string vibrating elements.

Figure 7 and 8 are illustrative views showing the positions of the string vibrating members immediately before and after contact with the string.

The playing device is applied to the guitar as shown in Figure l at the point where the strings are normally vibrated manually, namely, just forboard bridging the strings S, and is preferably constructed of a light material such as wood, or

moulded of some equally light and durable material such as bakelite.

The frame preferably consists of a series ofupright integral sections arranged in staggered relation, that is, alternately offseton opposite sides of alongitudinal central wall 2 and surmounted by arectangular keyboard 3. Thesesections pro- Vide vertical housings for a group of key-operated string-vibrating units corresponding in number and spacing to the strings of the instrument to be played. Thus for a guitar with six strings S as shown, there is a corresponding vibrating unit and key for each string. At the base of the frame is a plurality of transversely spaced vertical slots ,2 formed in the central wall and offset to one side of each of the sections i'.

These slots straddle the strings when the device is applied to the instrument, thus locating each string adjacent one of the vibrating units.

. Immediately beyond the playing device is a bridge 4 located in its usualposition on the top wall ,5 ,of the guitar body and having spaced notches A for the strings. The bridge serves its it is preferred to have the bridge connected .directly to the frame of the playing device, as

for instanceby screws A as shown in Figure 2,

members,

with the notches 3 in alignment with the vertical slots 2 in the frame.

Each'unit l of the frame is shaped to house and support a string vibrator assembly, and for this purpose is shaped at its lower end to provide an enlarged chamber i rectangular in section, and a vertical annular passage l extending through the portion of the unit above the chamber and communicating therewith. The cover plate 3 (Figure 5) is rectangular inshape, but is preferably made in two sections fitting together along a staggered parting line 3 conforming to the outline of the staggered units below, and provided.

with apertures 3 for the keys as will later be dc scribed in greater detail. y i

Mounted in the annular passage lb ofeach unit is a key 5 having an enlarged circular head 6 and a shank 6 flattened on two'sides and otherwise conforming to the shape of the openings 3! in the keyboard 3 which holds keys against turning and likewiselimits theirendwise movement. The lower end, of, the shank is enlarged as shown at 6 in Figure 6, and this enlargement provides a stop engaging the'under'sideof the 'cover'plate to determine the upward limit of the key movement, I It is therefore to, permitthe assemblyof the keys in the-keyboard that the latter is made in two sections as heretoforedescribed in connection with Figure 5. The shank of the keys is approximatelyone-half the length of the passage l thus leaving a space at'their lower ends to accommodate. light coil springs l which bear against the ends of the keys and act to return the-sameto their retracted positionswhen released.

Pivotally connected with the slotted lower end of each key is a light metal bar 8 extending downwardly through the springs E into the lower chamber is, the length of thisbar being such that .in the raised position of the key -itslower ,end

terminates just above and to oneside of the string to be vibrated. The lower end of each bar is bent approximately at ;right.;ang 1es and preferably slightly more than a right angleto provide a finger fl projecting toward the adjacent string S,

the actual string vibrating these fingers being As already noted, the strings are not-in vertical alignment with the keys but are offset laterally therefrom passing through the slots 2 at the left of each chamber as shown Figure 2, and therefore the wall of each chamber l adjacent the string is slotted verticallyas at9, .thus permitting the finger 8 to project exterior the chamber to contact, with the string. Immediately above the .finger 8 of. each baris a fixed cross member'il forming apair of short laterally projecting arms positioned at right angles to the finger B These armsfunction as cam members in" conjunction with a pair of spring actuatedcams It, in pivpins m which are journalled in' the end walls of the chamber just abbvethe level of the strings vS These cams extend in a'generalivertical direction, but are permitted to turn through a small angle limited bythe width of thechamber, but

normally to assume an inclinedfposition with their lower ends toward the strings as shown in full lines in Figure 2. Light helical springs H are connected with the ends "of the pivot pins exterior the chamber and these springs'act to-hold'thecams in their normalpositions; Theca ms l0, ID; are in vertical alignmentwith the cross arm 8' on the viduces the desired note.

brator arm 8, and the cam action between the two in the act of pressing down and releasing the key will now be described, bearing in mind that the action is that of plucking or vibrating the associated strings in quite the same manner as it would be done with the finger.

In the first place, it will be observed that the bar 3 is pivoted at its upper end to key 7!, so that it can oscillate slightly in a planetransverse to the string, and thus when a key is pressed the cam arm 8 on the bar 8 comes into contact with the cams Hi, If) which are inclined toward the string,

with the result that the bar is shifted laterally "as it descends, thus carrying the finger 8 obliquely V toward and into contact with the string, pressing ,it downwardly as shown in Figure '7. Now at this point the cross arm 8* has reached the pivot points i of the cams H3, and as it passes these points the cams swing in a counter-clockwise direction to the position shown in Figure 8, allowing the arm 8* to pass, and then swinging back to their normal position as in Figure 7 thenreleased.

With the sudden release of the cams it, lib, the bar 8 is free to shift laterally with the tension exerted by the depressed string on the finger 8 causing the latter to slide out of contact with the string and, setting up the vibration that pro- Thus having set; the string in vibration, the key spring 3 is immediately released, and by the actionof the retracting of the bar 8, is thrown upwardly. But since the finger 3 is below the vibrating string, itis essential that it return to its normal position without touching the string and thus dampening its vibration. The cams til, it now act to'prevent this, for in the upward movement of the bar 8 the cam arm 8 strikes the outer inclined faces of the cams so as to guide the barlaterally and away from the vibrating string as ittravels upwardly, said cams in the meantime having been reset by; the tension of their springs, although they are free to oscillate sufiiciently to permit the cam 1 armt to pass and allow the bar to return to its normal position in readiness for the nextnote. Needless to say, the samestring vibrating. assembly is duplicated for each string so that all that is visible on the top ofthe casing is a keyboard consisting of six keys arranged instaggered formation across the width of the strings; Thus with the playing device properlyapplied, the player fingers or plays the instrument merely by pressing the keys with the fingers instead of plucking or picking them, this being accomplishediby reproducing the same action 'mechanic'ally through the cam controlled movementof the mechanical picks or ,fingers a.

Presumably some practice would be required before the change from the conventional method of playing is mastered, but'once this is done the performance is equally satisfactory if not more finished, inasmuch as the vibratory periodlof the strings is more uniform and hence the tones truer and more resonant.

Having set forth apreferred embodimentrof my .7 1 65 l: A playing attachment for stringed instrilstring during its return movement to normal position.

2. A playing attachment for stringed instruments comprising a series of string vibrating units, each comprising a key actuated contact member normally positioned above and ofiset to one side of a corresponding string, and a spring actuated cam pivotally mounted in the path of said member and adapted to guide the same obliquely across the string when said key is depressed, and to shift its position after said string has been set in vibration to guide said member out of contact with the vibrating string during its return movement to normal position.

3. A playing attachment for stringed instruments comprising a plurality of key actuated string vibrating units, each comprising an endwise depressible bar having a picker finger at its lower end and a cam pivotally mounted in the path of said bar and operative to guide the finger into contact with its corresponding string when the key is depressed, and to return the same in a path remote from the vibrating string when the key is released.

4. A playing attachment for stringed instruments comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on the instrument to embrace the strings and having slots through which the strings extend, and a series of vertical chambers adjacent the several strings, a plurality of key actuated string vibrating units mounted in said chambers, each comprising an endwise depressible bar depending from its associated key, a cam pivotally mounted in each chamber and in the path of said bar, the same being provided with a coacting cam engaging member and a string contacting finger, said cam being operative to guide the finger into string plucking contact with its corresponding string when the key is depressed, and to return the same in a path remote from the vibrating string when the key is released.

5. A playing attachment for stringed instruments comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on the instrument to embrace the strings and having slots through which the strings extend, and a series of vertical chambers adjacent the several strings, a plurality of key actuated string vibrating units mounted in said chambers, each comprising a depressible key depending into its chamber, a spring acting to return the key to its elevated position, a bar pivotally connected with said key and having a picker finger at its lower end, a cam pivotally mounted in said chamber adjacent the path of said bar and provided with cam faces normally positioned obliquely of said chamber, said bar having a cam projection adapted to contact with said cam during the downward movement of said bar to effect the plucking of the strings by said finger as it passes the cam, and a spring acting on said cam to return the same to its initial position, whereby contact between the cam and said cam projection during the return movement of the bar guides its finger in a path remote from the vibrating string.

VITO L. MARZULLO. 

